Fiyaz appeals gag order in High Court regarding ongoing criminal proceedings
Hussain Fiyaz Moosa has appealed to the High Court against a Criminal Court gag order that mandated secret proceedings for the defamation charges brought against two editors of the "Adhadhu" news outlet. This appeal follows the High Court's recent dismissal of a similar challenge filed by a journalists' association on the grounds that the organization was not a direct legal party to the case. The Criminal Court originally justified the decision to close the hearings to the public by citing the need to uphold community moral standards.
Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, CEO of Adhadhu News. | Adhadhu
Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, a key figure named in the case involving a documentary released by Adhadhu news, has filed an appeal at the High Court challenging a gag order. This follows the High Court's recent decision to dismiss an earlier appeal against the same injunction.
The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) initially appealed the order at the High Court. However, the court dismissed the case on Sunday. The court cited its reasoning for the dismissal as the MJA not being a party to the original case to which the gag order pertains, and therefore concluded that the association lacked the legal standing to bring the matter forward.
Charges have been filed in this case against Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Adhadhu online news, and Editor Hassan Mohamed.
Consequently, Fiyaz, who has been charged in this case, filed an appeal against the order in the High Court on Sunday.
It is noteworthy that the defamation trial against Adhadhu Online’s Editor-in-Chief and CEO, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, and Editor Hassan Mohamed, regarding the "Aisha" documentary, is being conducted behind closed doors, away from public view.
The Criminal Court has decided to conduct the trial behind closed doors, noting that while criminal proceedings are generally open to the public, Article 42(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives stipulates specific exceptions. In a gag order imposing several restrictions, the court stated that hearings involving sexual offenses and similar cases of moral turpitude are typically conducted in camera. This measure, the court emphasized, is intended to uphold the moral standards of society.
